March 27 (UPI) — A police officer in Oklahoma died Monday morning after he was shot during a traffic stop and foot pursuit late Sunday night, authorities said.
Tecumseh officer Justin Terney, 22, pulled over a vehicle with a female driver and a male passenger in Shawnee, about 35 miles southeast of Oklahoma City, about 11:30 p.m. Sunday, according to Tecumseh Police Department. A dispatcher informed Terney the driver had an outstanding warrant.
The passenger, whose name wasn’t released, left the vehicle and allegedly fled on foot into a pasture.
Terney used a Taser on the suspect without success and the suspect shot the officer, who returned fire, police said.
Both were transported to University of Oklahoma Medical Center in Oklahoma City but the officer died from his injuries to his stomach at 9 a.m., police said. The suspect was hospitalized in intensive care, Assistant Chief J.R. Kidney said at a news conference.
Kidney told the media he believes Terney was shot three times.
The driver of the vehicle was taken into custody.
“Our departments need all the prayers we can get at this point,” Kidney said. We have officers who have “never experienced this, never been through anything like this.”
The police department has 12 sworn officers and a reserve police officer program, according to the department website.
Terney “was a very young officer who was just getting started in his career,” Kidney said at the news conference.
Terney also was a volunteer firefighter.
